Deer & Deer Hunting Forums: White Tail Deer Hunting Forum

I grew up with back tags as the norm, here in Ohio. They just did away with them a few years ago. (I don't recall exactly when). The only problem I recall with them, was remembering to move them to whatever coat you were to wear. Running the pin through the edge of the collar was fine with every game warden I ever met, so there was no need to damage the coat, though hunting coats were made with the hemmed holes already in place. I know, my rabbit hunting coat has them still. I can't say they really do anything for or against poaching, but it did allow a game warden to glass you from the road to look for that flag of color, and if the wrong color was showing, he would check your tags. Otherwise, he didn't need to mess with your hunt. Sometimes, guys would have ten years or more of tags in that holder, and sometimes the wrong one was showing in the window.

Nowadays, I carry my hunting permit in my wallet, like a concealed weapon, to show if needed. While a back tag was a declaration, loud and proud " I am a Hunter!". I still have mine, though it has not been required for years, But I hang onto it. Like a badge of office, now retired. It reminds me of my early hunting days, as a boy, walking the fields with my father.

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.

Yeah i have to say that i was thinking about the lack of registering deer by masses of people. if you keep it in your pocket and still do everything else, than what is the difference? you are still putting a tag on it and registering it right? then what's the problem of wearing a back tag so that you can be identified by others for poaching or breaking the rules. I wont have to confront you, just get your tag # and call it in.

what do other states do? I heard that some states call in their kill. I guess I dont see a problem with it. I am not afraid to put two holes in my jacket in order to be identified. oh wait-that's right-my jacket comes with a back tag holder tab sewn into it.

so could you tell me what your proposal is/was? does the hunter call in the kill, stop at a gas station and register it? they still tag it in the field?who does an age guestimate on the animal? It sounds ok to me, i just wonder how others do it and wonder what you proposed.

Just eliminate the back tag. Period. We all get a buck tag and an antlerless tag and god knows how many other tags. You still tag the deer as always; you still register the deer as always. Just eliminate the back tag from the equation. Period.

P.S. Missouri and Kansas (I believe) are two states that I think have 1-800 # call in registrations.

I live and hunt in IL. There are no "back tags" here. However, anytime I am in the field hunting I have to have my valid hunting license and appropriate tags for the animal being hunted on my person. I carry mine in holder that Wal-Mart hands out to help keep water and such off of them.

Immediately upon recovery of the animal, I am required by law to affix my tag to the animal. The law then requires me to call the 800 number before 10:00 pm that day to report the kill. If I'm reporting a doe, I take a measurement from the front of the eye to rear corner of the nostril. For a buck, I take the same measurement as well as the number of points and the girth of the antler at its largest circumference. This gives the state an age analysis. I also have to answer questions about how many turkeys or bobcats I've seen, and the county I harvested the animal in. After check in, I get a confirmation number that I am to record on the part of the permit that is not on the animal, thus proving that I checked in that animal.

The only benefit I see to having a back tag would be that a game warden could identify me from a distance without walking into my setup... but if he suspects me of being in violation, isn't he going to walk in anyway?? I've never had to talk with a game warden during a hunt, but I still make sure I am totally legal each time in the field. If a game warden is doing his job correctly, he probably has a pretty good idea of where people are hunting... If he suspects anything amiss, then he just needs to check people out as they walk in or out. I know that they also welcome tips from people who see violations while hunting (ie: salt blocks, people not tagging deer, etc...)

"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values and with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." ~Fred Bear

i have always had to use back tags since i have been hunting , but if we could have a better way of doing it and saving $ at the same time I would be ok with that.. last year I had earned 2 buck authorization stickers for taking 2 does, I had them in my back tag. my 2nd hunt I loss them in the field somewhere. the next day I went to the DNR office to get replacement stickers and they told me I was only eligable for 1 sticker. hmm I shot 2 does and only recieved 1 tag . did I not earn that second tag by taking that second doe. now I duck tape my back tag shut. and on a second note. not having a back tag would be difficult to catch tresspassers and poachers. a friend of mine has permission to walk his dog on some property. but they do not allow deer hunting. they have about 400 acres, he was going by there one day and saw 2 guys going in there without back tags. when he turned around to checked them out they ran off and he was unable to catch them or get a tag #. but I guess if your going to poach or tresspass you wouldn't show off your tag anyway.

I find it humorous when people think that creating laws and regulations will prevent people from breaking the law. If a person is going to poach deer, nothing is going to stop them short of getting caught. Based on the number of repeat offenders, not even that stops them a lot of the time.

"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values and with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." ~Fred Bear

thanks for that clarification. I was just asking how others did it. I do like the fact that they ask about other sightings, county of kill and what i find interesting is the measurement from nostril to eye and the circumference of the antler.couldnt the circumference be different depending on the nutritional availability and genetics of the deer? I dont mind doing away with the tags if it does indeed save the DNR some money. I do prefer the back tags though-I tell you all that i have seen a lot of people that go out into the fields after dark with their blaze orange on and a back tag or one time my buddies and I were in a bar/restaurant two days before the season opener here in WI and these guys were drunk, loud and talking to many about how they filled half of their tags that day.well they had their tags on their jackets in the bar-my buddy (an ex warden) said to them: "Really you guys got deer already? thats great but arent you going to register them?" the one guy responded " yeah, we have em hanging in camp and we'll take them in around noon on opening morning. that's how we've done it for years. that way we dont have all the other hunters wrecking our hunt and have the best shot at getting bucks before they go into the swamps.!"so with a pen/paper, my buddy wrote down tag #'s, license plate #'s and made a call.they were cited for many different violations.My point to all of this is-they did something they knew was illegal and with their back tags on while they did it. It was an easy way to identify them without having any negative contact with them.In northern WI, there are not a lot of wardens to make a great impact. too many cheaters out there.

I do see the point you are all making with the getting rid of the back tags. i guess i would still prefer them for some of the reasons i stated. I guess if a guy is in the field and he has a moral dilemma about taking game he shouldnt and because he has the back tag on him he decides not to do it for fear of getting caught, that to me is worth it.guess either way i wont lose sleep over it, there are bigger issues in the deer woods to be addressed rather than gripe about holes in my jacket.

I have been deer hunting both gun and bow since 1976 and see no reason to get rid of the back tag unless your an individual who has something to hide. I have had 3 situations in the past 5 years to use the back the tag of other individuals who were violating DNR laws. Of the 5 individuals invloved none of them would provide me a name when I confronted them about the violation but with the back tag info they ended up getting caught and fined. As a hunter I'm proud to dispaly the back tag that Wisconsin issues to it's hunters. Why as hunters are we always looking for easy the button its hunting not poaching !!